JPL Logo
A profile photo of Kyle Uckert

Kyle Uckert

Researcher

About

Bio

I am a research scientist with interests in astrobiology instrument development, Raman spectroscopy, subsurface microbial life, and data visualization. I am the Deputy PI for the Mars 2020 SHERLOC instrument, a Raman and fluorescence spectrometer with two high resolution context imagers mounted to the robotic arm of the Perseverance rover.

During my postdoc at JPL, I worked with Dr. Aaron Parness to design and integrate scientific payloads with the LEMUR rock climbing robot, including a deep-UV Raman spectrometer, a micro-X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer, and a NIR reflectance spectrometer.

I earned my PhD in astronomy from New Mexico State University where my dissertation studies focused on the detection of biosignatures in subterranean field samples using a suite of in situ techniques, including IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

Education

  • New Mexico State University: PhD, Astronomy
  • New Mexico State University: MS, Astronomy (Minor in Electrical & Computer Engineering)
  • Ohio University Honors Tutorial College: BS, Astrophysics (Minor in Mathematics)

Research Interests

Astrobiology, Raman Spectroscopy, Development of Fieldable Instruments, Mission Operations, Data Visualization, Subterranean Exploration, Robotics

Experience

Professional Experience

  • Deputy PI, SHERLOC, Mars 2020 (2023 - )
  • Scientist, Planetary Geosciences Group, JPL (2023 - )
  • Scientific Applications Software Engineer, Science Data Visualization Group, JPL (2019 - 2023)
  • Postdoctoral Scholar, JPL (2017 - 2018)
  • NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, NMSU (2013 - 2016)

Achievements

Awards & Recognitions

  • JPL Voyager Award (2023)
  • NASA Award | SHERLOC Science and Operations Team (2022)
  • NASA Award | PIXL Surface Operations Team (2022)
  • NASA Award | Mars 2020 Science Team (2022)
  • NASA Award | Instrument Operations Team (2022)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Team Awards (2022)
  • JPL Award | Mars 2020 Individual Awards (2022)
  • NASA Award | Mars 2020 PIXL Development Team (2021)
  • NASA Award | Mars 2020 SHERLOC Development Team (2021)
  • NASA Award | Mars 2020 Instrument Operations Development Team (2021)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Team Awards (2021)
  • JPL Award | Mars 2020 Individual Awards (2021)
  • JPL Voyager Award (2020)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Team Awards (2020)
  • JPL Award | Mars 2020 Individual Awards (2020)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Team Awards (2019)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | LEMUR Group Achievement Award (2019)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | NMSU | Fall Outstanding Graduate Award for Graduate School, PhD (2016)
  • NASA Award | NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship, NMSU (2016)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology (2016)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | NMSU Department of Astronomy | Barry Neil Rappaport Endowed Memorial Scholarship Award, NMSU Department of Astronomy (2015)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | NMSU Department of Astronomy | A. Scott Murrell Memorial Endowed Scholarship (2014)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | NMSU College of Arts & Sciences | 3 Minute Thesis Competition: 1st Place (2014)

Publications

  1. Uckert, K., Bhartia, R., Michel, J., Caffrey, M., Nelson, T. (Under Review). Mars 2020 SHERLOC On-Board Data Processing Algorithms for Improved Mission Operations . In 2024 IEEE Aerospace Conference.
  2. Sharma, S., Roppel, R. D., Murphy, A. E., Beegle, L. W., Bhartia, R., Steele, A., …, Uckert, K…, Yanchilina, A. (2023). Diverse organic-mineral associations in Jezero crater, Mars. Nature, 619(7971), 724-732.
  3. Spieler, P., Wei, S. X., Li, M., Galassi, A., Uckert, K., Kalantari, A., & Burdick, J. W. (2023). PARSEC: An Aerial Platform for Autonomous Deployment of Self-Anchoring Payloads on Natural Vertical Surfaces. In 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (pp. 5331-5337). IEEE.
  4. Scheller, E. L., Razzell Hollis, J., Cardarelli, E. L., Steele, A., Beegle, L. W., Bhartia, R., …, Uckert, K…, Zorzano, M. P. (2022). Aqueous alteration processes in Jezero crater, Mars—implications for organic geochemistry. Science, 378(6624), 1105-1110.
  5. Wynne, J. J., Titus, T. N., Agha‐Mohammadi, A. A., Azua‐Bustos, A., Boston, P. J., de León, P.…, Uckert, K…., Williams, K. E. (2022). Fundamental science and engineering questions in planetary cave exploration. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 127(11), e2022JE007194.
  6. Liu, Y., Tice, M. M., Schmidt, M. E., Treiman, A. H., Kizovski, T. V., Hurowitz, J. A…., Uckert, K…., Zorzano, M. P. (2022). An olivine cumulate outcrop on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars. Science, 377(6614), 1513-1519.
  7. Fries, M. D., Lee, C., Bhartia, R., Razzell Hollis, J., Beegle, L. W., Uckert, K., … & Aileen Yingst, R. (2022). The SHERLOC calibration target on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover: Design, operations, outreach, and future human exploration functions. Space Science Reviews, 218(6), 46.
  8. Hollis, J. R., Abbey, W., Beegle, L. W., Bhartia, R., Ehlmann, B. L., Miura, J…., Uckert, K…., Wu, Y. H. (2021). A deep-ultraviolet Raman and fluorescence spectral library of 62 minerals for the SHERLOC instrument onboard Mars 2020. Planetary and Space Science, 209, 105356.
  9. Uckert, K., Bhartia, R., Beegle, L. W., Monacelli, B., Asher, S. A., Burton, A. S., … & Wu, Y. H. (2021). Calibration of the SHERLOC deep ultraviolet fluorescence–raman spectrometer on the Perseverance Rover. Applied Spectroscopy, 75(7), 763-773.
  10. Bhartia, R., Beegle, L. W., DeFlores, L., Abbey, W., Razzell Hollis, J., Uckert, K., … & Zan, J. (2021). Perseverance’s scanning habitable environments with Raman and luminescence for organics and chemicals (SHERLOC) investigation. Space Science Reviews, 217(4), 58.
  11. Allwood, A. C., Hurowitz, J. A., Clark, B. C., Cinquini, L., Davidoff, S., Denise, R. W…., Uckert, K…., Zamani, P. (2021). The PIXL instrument on the mars 2020 perseverance rover. arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.07001.
  12. Uckert, K., Parness, A., Chanover, N., Eshelman, E. J., Abcouwer, N., Nash, J., … & Boston, P. (2020). Investigating habitability with an integrated rock-climbing robot and astrobiology instrument suite. Astrobiology, 20(12), 1427-1449.
  13. Caffrey, M., Boyd, K., Gasway, D., McGlown, J., Michel, J., Nelson, A., … & Uckert, K. (2020). The processing electronics and detector of the Mars 2020 SHERLOC Instrument. In 2020 IEEE Aerospace Conference (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
  14. Uckert, K., Bhartia, R., & Michel, J. (2019). A semi-autonomous method to detect cosmic rays in Raman hyperspectral data sets. Applied Spectroscopy, 73(9), 1019-1027.
  15. Nesnas, I. A., Kerber, L., Parness, A., Kornfeld, R., Sellar, G., McGarey, P…., Uckert, K…., Boster, E. (2019). Moon diver: A discovery mission concept for understanding the history of secondary crusts through the exploration of a lunar mare pit. In 2019 IEEE Aerospace Conference (pp. 1-23). IEEE.
  16. Uckert, K., Grubisic, A., Li, X., Brinckerhoff, W. B., Cornish, T., Farcy, B., & Getty, S. A. (2018). IR resonance-enhanced organic detection with two-step laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Icarus, 299, 15-21.
  17. Uckert, K., Chanover, N. J., Getty, S., Voelz, D. G., Brinckerhoff, W. B., McMillan, N., … & Chavez, A. (2017). The characterization of biosignatures in caves using an instrument suite. Astrobiology, 17(12), 1203-1218.
  18. Uckert, K., Chanover, N. J., Olkin, C. B., Young, L. A., Hammel, H. B., Miller, C., & Bauer, J. M. (2014). An investigation of the temperature variations in Neptune’s upper stratosphere including a July 2008 stellar occultation event. Icarus, 232, 22-33.
  19. Alibay, F., Fernandes, P., McGranaghan, R., Leonard, J., Clegg, R., Craig, P…., Uckert, K…., Mitchell, K. (2014). Design of a low cost mission to the Neptunian system. In 2014 IEEE Aerospace Conference (pp. 1-19). IEEE.
  20. Chanover, N., Tawalbeh, R., Glenar, D., Voelz, D., Xiao, X., Uckert, K., … & Mahaffy, P. (2012). Rapid assessment of high value samples: An AOTF-LDTOF spectrometer suite for planetary surfaces. In 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference (pp. 1-10). IEEE.

A list of all of my publications may be found at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EASI5tYAAAAJ

Projects:

  • Mars 2020
  • SHERLOC